Shipping and Moving

By Eric Ford

The New York Jets had to make some difficult decisions with the roster, so let’s dive into some of it. Let’s start with quarterbacks. We are down to two. None have started in an NFL game. The first one is first-round draft pick Zach Wilson, and the other is Mike White. He was on the Cowboys in 2018, then signed by the Jets a year later. He spent the last couple of years being promoted to the active roster and released to the practice squad. He did pretty well in the preseason, and the coaches must trust him to back up Zach Wilson. My concern is not having a veteran presence. The last veteran we had at the quarterback position was Josh McCown. I personally believe having a veteran presence can help shape a young quarterback. This will truly be interesting.  

Another shocker is the release of Bless Austin. He was our star cornerback last season. It’ll be quite interesting to see now that we have a group of cornerbacks with minimal experience in the NFL. As a fan, I just hope they do well.

Other moves that the Jets made included trading Tight End Chris Herndon. This move needed to happen. He had a solid first year but then got bogged down due to injuries and just underperforming. The Jets traded him for draft picks to the Minnesota Vikings. We also traded for Shaq Lawson from the Houston Texans to replace Carl Lawson (no relation) due to injury. 

In conclusion, the Jets have a pretty young team. I just hope it all works out, but only time will tell.

Rams Welcome Bears for Home Opener

By Zakary Haines

Los Angeles–The regular season has reached Los Angeles with the first Sunday Night Football game between the Rams and the Chicago Bears. The last time these two met was in 2020 where the Rams took the win over the Bears 24 to 10. This time, the Rams’ offense will have Matthew Stafford under center instead of Jared Goff. The Rams are the favorites to win this primetime match-up with a spread of -7.5, which they are expected to cover. Still, the Bears come in with a chip on their shoulder and will go all out in the first regular-season game.

The Rams should not underestimate the Bears. Andy Dalton is coming off a season where he threw for over 2,000 passing yards with 14 touchdowns and an 87.3 quarterback rating. However, the Rams’ defense is expected to be in the top spot again. Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, and Kenny Young are expecting to have big seasons this year. The Rams should retain their top-tier form again but covering guys such as Allen Robinson, Marquise Goodwin, and David Montgomery will test them to the final whistle.

Matthew Stafford has looked good all preseason in practices and training camp, but he did not take a single snap in the preseason. Now Stafford will have to put it all together on game day. The Bears’ defense ranked 14th overall at the end of last season. On top of that, Khalil Mack is an all too familiar opponent for the former Detroit Lion. However, the offensive line looks more bolstered than last year, and Stafford has something he has had not had in a while; multiple targets. Wide Receivers Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, and DeSean Jackson, along with tight end Tyler Higbee, give Stafford plenty of options to choose from in the passing game. Stafford should also have plenty of time in the pocket to pick apart the defense. 

As for the run game, this was a concern heading into this season. Even in the preseason, the run game was, for the most part, inconsistent. Then the Rams made a trade for New England’s Sony Michel. The former first-round pick was sent over to Los Angeles during the preseason to clear the depth chart for the Patriots, and in return, the Rams get a reliable running back who can help with their run game. Expect a fight for playing time this season between Darrell Henderson Jr, Sony Michel, and Jake Funk.

Expect some errors and miscues for this game as most of the starters sat out the preseason games. Nobody’s going to be perfect, but the Bears are an opponent that you can’t sleep on. This should be a huge game for Stafford and the receiving core. The Bears have a weaker secondary that should not be an issue for the veteran. Expect Sean McVay to call on multiple guys to help get Stafford more in sync with the playbook. Overall, The Rams should have a decent challenge but should walk away with the win in week one. Kickoff for this primetime match-up is at 8:20 pm est on NBC.

Vikings at Bengals Preview

By Liam Sullivan

The Minnesota Vikings will open up their season on the road at Paul Brown Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals tomorrow afternoon. 

Mike Zimmer will begin his eighth season at the helm for the Vikings.  

Zac Taylor will begin his third season at the helm for Cincinnati. 

The Vikings will get off to a great start this season with Florida State product and experienced running back Dalvin Cook. 

He will be given the ball by Michigan State product and veteran QB Kirk Cousins.  

Cousins will have Justin Jefferson, LSU National Champion and second-year player to throw to. 

There is also a Dalvin that plays defense, Dalvin Tomlinson. A fifth-year player, coached by Nick Saban at Alabama, Tomlinson hopes to lead the defensive line. 

For the Bengals, Joe Burrow hopes to return to the team. 

Tee Higgins is expected to make many receptions on offense. 

Joe Mixon will be in charge of the ground game.  

On the defensive side of the ball, a base 4-3 defensive formation, players like Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, and Chidobe Awuzie hope to make big stops on defense.  

Lou Anarumo, the Staten Island native and Defensive Coordinator, hopes to get the Vikings behind the line of scrimmage.

Arizona Cardinals vs Tennessee Titans

By Bill Murphy

Nashville – Well, after a  long seven-month wait, football is back.  After a 2-1 record during the preseason, the Tennessee Titans will open their season at home against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at 1 pm.  Last year, the Titans finished their season with an 11-5 record, winning the AFC South but unfortunately losing in the wild card round of the playoffs to the Baltimore Ravens 20-13. 

Ryan Tannehill did not receive any playing time during the preseason, especially the last game against the Bears, because he was in Covid 19 protocols.  Last year Tannehill threw 165 yards with one touchdown and 65.7 % completion.  This Week Tannehill and the rest of the offense is going to have a lookout for The Arizona Cardinals defense which last year racked up a total of 1076 tackles and 48 sacks, especially their new defensive end JJ Watt, which the cardinals just acquired from the Houston Texans as last year Watt had 36 tackles, five sacks, and two forced fumbles. 

Everybody will be talking about on offense the receivers that the titans have, such as AJ Brown, who last year scored 14 touchdowns and caught for 1,075 yards. The other big-name Wide Receiver is Julio Jones from the Atlanta Falcons, who last year caught 51 receptions, 771 receiving yards, and three touchdowns.   While Brown and Jones are going to be core pieces of the receiving game, two things that are going to be a significant concern for both of them are going to be both their health and age,  Julio Jones was injured a good chunk of last year, while Brown like Jones was out all of the preseason because of an injury. If Brown and Jones struggle, the wild card to look out for is Cameron Baston, who had 66 receiving yards and scored two touchdowns during preseason.  

A part of the titans that all fans worry about is the defense. This week, they will have a tough challenge: Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Deandre Hopkins.   Murray last year threw 3,971 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 61.9% quarterback rating. Murray  Is an overall good quarterback who can throw and rush. The key to victory would be to pressure Murray and cover both Fitzgerald and Hopkins. 

So overall, I think it will be a good game. I think the keys to victory are for Tannehill and to get past Watt. The defense to cover Murray, Hopkins, and Fitzgerald. I think they can repeat the first finish and go to the playoffs again. 

Buffalo and The Return of Bills Mafia

By Lawrence Lang

With the preseason in the rearview mirror, we now look to week one for the Buffalo Bills. The Bills will be opening their season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who they beat last season 26-15. Quarterback Josh Allen would go 24/43 for 238 passing yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Heading into the season opener, the big question is how Josh Allen will perform this season after his six-year $258 million contract extension. Allen is definitely worth the money since he brought back life to the Bills. In the 2020 season, he brought them a ten-win season first time since 1999 when the Bills went 11-5 and also brought them their first division title first since 1995, a year before Allen was born, and even brought them to the AFC Championship for the first time since 1993. 

Allen also brought it last season, finishing 2nd in the AP MVP, only to be beaten by Green Bay Packers Qb Aaron Rodger. Allen had a 69.1% completion percentage, 37-10 TD-INT ratio, a 107.2 Passer Rating, eight Rushing Touchdowns, and one Receiving touchdown. So all eyes are on Allen to see if he can have a repeat performance and be a candidate for MVP again with the likes of Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, to name a few. 

The Bills are also now the top dog in the division since Tom Brady’s departure from the New England Patriots at the end of the 2019 season when he left for Tampa Bay and went on to win the Super Bowl this past year with them. The Patriots were the Thanos of that division, winning the division from 2003-2007 and again from 2009-2019 and collecting five Lombardi trophies (03,04,14,16,18). Then Like Ironman in Endgame, the Tennessee Titans snapped their fingers and killed the Patriots Brady era with a pick-six in the 2019 playoffs.   

  The Bills became the top dog because of their team and because the rest of the division is a little lackluster, and that every other team is in the midst of a rebuild. In the 2021 Season, The New York Jets and the Patriots are starting their season with rookie quarterbacks Zack Wison and Mac Jones. The Miami Dolphins have Tua Tagovailoa, who is in his second year of the league but also doesn’t mean that the division won’t be competitive because of all the young talent behind the center. 

Looking at the Steelers, the Steelers are out for blood after their 2020 season saw them start 11-0 then end in disaster, losing their next four of five games losing to the Washington Football Team, Bills, Cincinnati Bengals then barely beat the Indianapolis Colts then losing again to the Cleveland Browns to end the season at 12-4. Okay, they won the division, but the kicker here was that they would have home-field advantage in the playoffs and see the Browns again. Their season would end right there as they would lose in Wild Card weekend 48-37 making this what could have been a run at a SuperBowl for the Steelers just to end in utter disaster for them. So the Steelers will be out for redemption this year with Ben Roethlisberger back for what could be his last season in the league. Big Ben will look to give everything that he can give in what is a tough AFC North.

Keys to the Game.

  1. How will the Bills stop the Steelers offensive game, especially Wide Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster?
  2. Can Josh Allen start the season off with a win to start his campaign for his first MVP trophy?
  3. Can Big Ben show that he can still dish out at 39 years old and show that the Steelers can forget the 2020 season and that they are not a fluke of a team? 
  4. How much attention will Cole Beasley get since his comments about the NFL vaccine policy? 
  5. Will this play a factor in Sunday’s game with Bills Mafia back in Highmark Stadium at total capacity? 

This game has a chance to be a high-scoring affair but at the same time can be a low-scoring affair if the defenses show up and perform. Look for Allen and Rothlisberger to throw the deep ball in this game, and if your fantasy football person, that will be great for you in your week one matchup. The Bills might just edge out the Steelers since this will be the first time they have a packed stadium of fans since 2019. Since 2020 saw a global pandemic with the coronavirus that limited fans threw out all of the sports. Bills Mafia, enjoy yourselves Sunday; you deserve this moment as it’s been a long time since all of you can come together and that your team has brought life back to your city.

Time For The Purr To Become a ROAR

By Mark Halpern

The new-look Detroit Lions take the field this Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. Why do I call the lions a new look? Well, it is because they have a new DEN leader in Jared Goff. Goff is coming over in the trade for Stafford earlier in the off-season and is bringing the swagger and leadership he provided in Los Angeles. Geoff is starting over in his career, and not a wrong time. He is in his prime, but as he looks to the left and right from underneath center, he no longer has the offense of weapons he had with the Rams—this is an actual test for any veteran quarterback.

We know Goff leads the Lions offense, but the offseason saw free agency pick away at an excellent wide receiver core. Marvin Jones Jr left to be the number one receiver in Jacksonville, and Kenny Golladay went to the New York Giants {; the world is still asking why}. The wide receivers are now led by Tyrell Williams, Kalif Raymond, and Quintez Cephus, who earned his spot by having a great preseason. It is a very young core, and I think Geoff will have a hard time, especially against the San Francisco Secondary. Deandre Swift returns as the lead running back. Swift had a promising rookie season and is looking to build off that. He has been dealing with a groin injury from the beginning of training camp and only has been practicing for a week or two. They will need him very healthy as most teams will stack the box until Goff’s wide receivers prove they are a real threat. The offensive line has good depth and better be ready cause they will be busier than a plunger in a toilet factory. Lead by center Frank Ragnow and Penei Swell, this line has the experience, but will they hold up. Also, returning from a good rookie year is tight end T.J Hockenson. He can block and is an excellent route runner and target for Geoff. Geoff had an outstanding reputation with his tight ends with the Rams, so Hockenson could have a terrific year even if the team is lackluster.

The Lion’s defense will be very busy as they are always considered the underdogs in the NFL. Trey Flowers will lead the Lions as the middle linebacker. Flowers is a good veteran and knows this defense must step up this season to give the offense a chance of winning games. On the defensive line, Michael Brockers looks to have a good year. He is very healthy and robust. The Leading man in the secondary is Jeff Okudah, who returns to run the secondary. He had one interception last year, but good coverage will make it, so the ball isn’t thrown his way. He can run with the best of them, and he will have his hands complete with trying to cover rookie standout Brandon Aiyuk.

The defense has a tough job in the first game, with the San Francisco offense capable of running and passing and is in no way short of stars. Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel are two young and talented wide receivers, and they have veteran leadership now, with Mohamed Sanu Jr joined the team in the off-season. The running game has always been a feature in this storied organization and is led by Raheem Mostert, rookie Trey Sermon, and the ever-dangerous tight-end George Kittle. Now you wonder why I haven’t mentioned the Quarterback because there hasn’t been a leader yet decided. Jimmy Garoppolo will get the start but, Trey Lance might get some playing time as well. This position was the focus, and it is right to start your veteran, but I don’t think they are 100% committed to Garoppolo, and we shall see.

This is a rough way for the Lions to have to start the season but, they need to come out and prove they can stop defenses and that their offense can put points up. I do not foresee a win for Detroit as I expect the 4ers to win 35-10.

Mayfield vs Mahomes V

By Lawrence Land Michael Rifkin

This Sunday, we will see a potential postseason match when Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns travel to Kansas City to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in a Sunday afternoon showdown at 4:25 PM EST. This will also be the fifth time that Mayfield and Mahomes face off against each other. This will be their second meeting in the regular season; Mahomes and the Chiefs defeated the Browns 37-21 in November of 2018.

These two teams played in the divisional round of the playoffs last season, which saw the Chiefs win 22-17 and eventually went to play in their second consecutive Super Bowl. In that game, Patrick Mahomes went 21-30 for 255 yards, a passing touchdown, and a rushing touchdown. The bigger story was Mahomes left this game with a concussion, and with the game in the hands of backup Chad Henne, who on a third and long scrambled for 13 yards, and on fourth down and the game on the line, head coach Andy Reid believed in his team that he went for it and had Henne throw a short pass to Tyreek Hill who had eight catches for 110 yards on the day to get the first down and seal the victory for the Chiefs. The Chiefs start their quest for a third straight Super Bowl appearance when they take on the Browns.

For the Browns, they came off a pretty impressive 2020 season with a record 11-5 and finishing third in the AFC North behind the Baltimore Ravens also (11-5) finished 2nd and division winners the Pittsburgh Steelers finished (12-4) after starting 11-0. Mayfield would also have himself a decent season, completing 62.8% of his passes, had 3,563 passing yards and a 26-8 TD-INT ratio. They would face the Steelers in the Playoffs and get a 48-37 victory, then, as stated earlier, would lose to the Chiefs in the Divisional Round. The Browns will try to capture their first division title in 32 years when they won it back in 1989 when they went 12-4.

Besides the game at hand, this will also mark the fifth time that Mahomes and Mayfield face each other. The first time they faced each other was in 2016 when both qbs were still in college. Mahomes (Texas- Tech) and Mayfield (Oklahoma) would put on a show for the ages.

Mahomes went 52/88 734 yards passing for five tds and one int along with 85 yards rushing and two rushing TDS
Mayfield went 27/36, 545 yards passing, and seven tds zero ints.

So what will Sunday bring when they go at it for around five? Are we in for another shootout? We will have to wait and see Sunday.

Cardinals Look to Titan Up.

By Michael Rifkin

The 2021 season for the Arizona Cardinals kicks off with a challenging task, go to Tennessee and defeat the Titans. The Cardinals were 8-6, heading into week 16 and looking at securing a wild card spot. They lost their last two games and missed the playoffs, something they haven’t reached since 2015, so this is a big year for third-year coach Kliff Kingsbury who is on the hot seat and not just because he coaches in the desert.
The Cardinals will not have two familiar faces with them in 2021 in receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who remains unsigned, and cornerback Patrick Peterson who is now playing for the Vikings. But the Cardinals did sign some veteran presences adding JJ Watt, who will be a Future Hall of Famer and up until this season spent his career with the Houston Texans to put Chandler Jones, who missed most of 2020 with a Biceps injury, and drafted Zaven Collins out of Tulsa in the first round to help rush the passer.

They signed receiver AJ Green from the Bengals to boost the outside opposite, Deandre Hopkins. Green should help in the red zone for quarterback Kyler Murray who last season had a 67.2 completion percentage for 3,971 yards with 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions; he also added 11 touchdowns rushing. But the most significant number for Murray was sacked 27 times, so the Cardinals added Center Rodney Hudson from the Raiders to anchor the offensive line.The Titans last season went 11-5, Won the AFC South, and lost to the Baltimore Ravens on Wild Card Weekend.

The Titans made a few splashes this offseason; they signed pass rusher Bud Dupree from the Steelers and traded for star receiver Julio Jones from the Falcons. Jones was limited to 9 games last season due to injury. Now quarterback Ryan Tannehill has two excellent receivers to throw to Jones and AJ Brown, who last season had 70 catches for 1,070 yards and 11 touchdowns. As great as those two receivers are, the key to stopping the Titans is containing running back Derrick Henry, who ran for 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. Henry averaged 126.7 yards per game. Last season the Cardinals gave up 4.6 yards per carry, so it will be interesting to see what they do defensively. With Peterson in Minnesota and Malcolm Butler retired, pressure is on third-year corner Byron Murphy to take away Brown or Jones.

The Cardinals will be put to the test early this season; if they think they have a shot at being a playoff team, they need to get off to a strong start. They will be put to the test in week, one, going to Nashville to play a Titans team with Super Bowl aspirations.

To Become Giants Again and Not Little Ones Again

By Jeff Knapp

The Giants started the week by releasing Guard Ted Larsen and then converting some salary of Sterling Shepard and Logan Ryan to a bonus, clearing 6.94 million dollars in cap space.This Sunday at 4:30, the New York Giants will host the Denver Broncos. The season opener will be an exciting matchup for the Giants.

The Broncos look to improve from last season with the return of Von Miller and the additions of rookie CB Patrick Surtain II, veteran CD Kyle Fuller, and QB Teddy Bridgwater, who threw for almost 4,000 yards later season in Carolina. The Giants will be tested with RB Melvin Gordan and WR Jerry Jeudy.It looks like Saquon Barkley will be back and at 100% for the opening day coming off his 2020 season-ending injury. With Saquon back, it should relieve some pressure from Daniel Jones, who is in make or break season after throwing for 2,943 yards, 11 TDs, and 10 INTs. He also ran for 423 yards.

The durability of Saquon is one of my biggest questions, but for me, the reliability of the Giants “Bad News Bears” of an offensive line is my biggest question. Last year they allowed Daniel Jones to be sacked 45 times, which puts Houston’s David Carr getting sacked 76 times in 2002 in perspective. The Giant’s offensive line might actually be the worst in football, so I’m seeing a lot of check-downs and short passes and a scrambling Daniel Jones, who might break 600 yards rushing this year. When it comes to the progression of the offensive line, I’m very interested to see how 2nd-year lineman Andrew Thomas grows from last year, especially when other big named O-linemen like Jedrick Wills, Mekhi Becton, and Tristan Wirfs were all available.

Although it’s tough to predict how the Giants are going to do this year because of the o-line performance and injuries to some key players, staying away from the injury bug and the o-line can keep the sacks at no more than 30, we have a very good chance. I believe in our defense, even with the loss of DT Dalvin Tomlinson. If everything comes together, I see the Giants defeating the Broncos 20-13 and finishing the season with eight wins and nine losses. I believe they will split wins with both the Eagles and Cowboys and win both games against the Washington Football team. I’m not looking forward to what happens against the Chiefs or the Bucs.
This week I can see Saquon finishing the day with 120 total yards and a TD, Jones throwing for 240 yards, and a TD to Darius Slayton.

Who needs the biggest season for the Rams?

By Zakary Haines

LOS ANGELES–The Los Angeles Rams made one of the biggest moves of the off-season. Trading Jared Goff and several draft picks to the Detroit Lions and acquiring veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. This was not a surprise. Stafford did not want to go through another rebuild after another disappointing season in Detroit. Meanwhile, the Rams made another playoff exit only a few years removed from their latest Super Bowl appearance. Now the Rams are under the microscope. It’s an important season for many Rams players, including some of the biggest names of this roster. 

Matthew Stafford: Stafford left Detroit as the franchise’s stats leader in just about every category a quarterback can lead in. He even had a 5,000 passing yard season and was only one of eight quarterbacks to accomplish this feat. Regardless, Stafford needs to prove that he is the missing piece to the Rams title-contending hopes. With a new 17 game format, this will not be an easy task. However, Stafford has been known as an “Iron-Man” of the game. He has played with multiple injuries over the years and even managed to throw this game-winning touchdown with an injured shoulder. If the Rams were looking for a quarterback to stay on the field, they have found their man. With a new coach, team, and set of plays, Stafford needs to show the league he is one of the best in the game. 

Jalen Ramsey: Ramsey has proven to be one of the top corners in the game. He was even included in the “99 Club” for the latest installment of the “Madden” series. With that in mind, Ramsey still needs to prove himself as the top-tier, lockdown corner he claims to be. Ramsey has issues locking down top wide receivers, which was obvious during their playoff game against the Green Bay Packers. He was not able to stop Aaron Rodgers from connecting with wide receivers like Davante Adams. Ramsey got burned multiple times on deep balls and shallow routes, including this play on the goal line. If Ramsey wants to be considered the best, he has to shut down some big names. 

Sean McVay: McVay took over as the Rams head coach in 2017 and has not looked back since. Becoming one of the youngest head coaches in the NFL ever, McVay has accomplished so much. He became NFL Coach of the Year in 2017, reached the playoffs every season except in 2019, and his overall record is 43- 21, going 3-3 in the playoffs. Despite making it to the Super Bowl before, McVay has not recaptured that momentum in the following seasons. What McVay needs to do this season is show that he can take the team on a much meaningful playoff run. With Stafford as his number one quarterback and a number one defense ready to continue their work, McVay should have one of his best seasons yet. 

This team has a lot of ambition and hopefulness. However, their schedule is going to require them to hit the ground running. With a schedule difficulty of .515, the Rams need to be in high gear early on. With teams such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week three, Tennessee Titans in Week nine, and playing all of their division rivals before their bye week in week eleven will be a challenge. But it is not impossible. The Rams have made significant improvement on the offensive end and should outperform last year’s 22nd ranking. Overall, this team made the necessary improvements in their weaker areas while maintaining their strengths. Despite the tough schedule, the Rams are looking to be a top team in the NFC for the upcoming season.